Boston, Massachusetts Hotels and City Guide

Boston - Going Out

Boston Entertainment

With a plethora of pleasures and attractions awaiting your exploration, today’s visitors to Boston can discover history, shop, eat and enjoy a great nightlife in this magnificent city. The following is just a taste of the brilliance that awaits you in Boston.

Boston's Theatre, Music and Dance

Within the theatre district, which is on the south side of Boston Common, along Tremont, Boylston, Stuart and Washington Streets, you will discover the Opera House, Colonial Theatre, Wilbur Theatre, Shubert Theatre and the Wang Center for the Performing Arts. Venturing beyond the theatre district proper, you will find The Huntington, The American Repertory Theatre, The Lyric Stage, The Calderwood Pavilion and the Emerson Majestic Theatre. Dance performances remain a cultural point of pride in Boston and the Boston Ballet, celebrated for its classical and modern works, is one of the finest in the world.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra performs at Symphony Hall, one of the world's optimum concert halls, featuring innovative seating arrangements and flawless acoustics built in 1900. The Boston Symphony Chamber Players also perform at the Symphony Hall.

Now enjoying their 30th year, the Shear Madness Comedy Play, is a free-fall ride of humor. Don’t worry if your hosts have seen it, they will go with you again, it changes a bit each time it is performed!

Boston's Sports

Sports fans have their choice of major league football, baseball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, or ice hockey to watch, all at world-class stadiums. Representing MLB, the 7-time World Champions Red Sox, play at historic Fenway Park, while Gillette Stadium fills with fans cheering on 3-time Super Bowl Champions the New England Patriots from November to January each year.

Bostonians are also zealous about their NBA team, the Celtics, who have dominated the sport of professional basketball by winning 17 world championships, including a record-setting 8 in a row from 1959-1966.

The Boston Marathon, held each third Monday in April on Patriots' Day, celebrates Paul Revere's ride, and is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. It was first run in 1897, and is the oldest marathon in the world.

Each October, champion rowers travel near and far to participate in the Head of the Charles, the world's largest regatta.

Arts and Events in Boston

Those traveling to this landmark historic city anticipating a wealth of museums, art galleries, and ever-changing significant exhibits will be delighted with the overwhelming array of choices. Boston’s prominent role in American history makes it a hub of historic sites and museums.

Whether your interests lie in history, art, or culture, Boston has a museum for you. From the Museum of Fine Art and The Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, to the John F. Kennedy and Boston Fire museums, there is truly something for every taste. You can explore the Science Museum, or treat your inner child to a trip to the Boston Children's Museum. For those who enjoy Picassos and the like, The Institute of Contemporary Art has a dramatic new venue on Boston's waterfront, and displays many of the most original artists from around the world. The Museum of Afro-American History aspires to preserve and correctly portray African American history from colonial times.

Several theaters, museums and galleries are located at Harvard University, including the Harvard Art Museum, which houses a diverse collection and attracts international acclaim.

Don’t miss The Regattabar, Boston's most popular jazz club, which hosts live performances from all over the world, as well as the annual Regattabar Jazz Fest, held from March through June. The Regattabar at the Charles Hotel also hosts a popular Summer Music Series for children.

Annual Events in Boston

Boston hosts several high-profile annual events.

January

New Year's Day: L Street Brownies Swim
Curley Community Center in South Boston
A polar bear plunge of hundreds of brave souls who will dive into the frigid Boston Harbor on New Year's Day in one of South Boston's oldest traditions.

Boston Wine Expo
Well over a thousand various wines to sample at a function hosted by the Seaport World Trade Center.

Beer Summit Winter Jubilee
One of Boston's best beer festivals takes place at the Park Plaza and features samplings from dozens of breweries such as Tuckerman, Opa Opa, Oskar Blues, Geary's, and Cisco.

February

New England Boat Show
Boston Convention and Exposition Center, South Boston Waterfront
This is Northeast's biggest boating event, with boats aplenty, along with over 350 exhibits of accessories.

Chinese New Year Dance Festival
Chinatown
This free event is held in the Chinatown area of Boston. The first dance kicks off at the corner of Harrison and Essex, and the celebration continues throughout the day.

March

St. Patrick's Day Parade and South Boston Festival
The parade starts on W. Broadway, E. Broadway, winding around Thomas Park, Telegraph Street, and Dorchester Street and then ends before Southampton Street.

April

Third Monday in April: Boston Marathon is run on Patriot's Day

Other Patriot's Day activities include the Boston Parade and re-enactment of the Flag Raising Ceremony on City Hall Plaza. Patriot’s Day Parade marches from City Hall Plaza to Old Granary Burial Grounds. Ceremonies are re-enactments of the midnight ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes that occurred on April 18, 1775.

26 April: Greek Independence Parade
Boylston St. in the Back Bay area of Boston
A celebration of Greek history and culture with music, gala dinners, and a parade with elaborate floats.

May

Arts First Festival
Harvard Square
Hundreds of music, theater, dance, film, and visual arts events. Many are free of charge and open to the public.

Harvard Square MayFair
Always a great venue for fresh, local entertainment, Harvard Square annually celebrates the spring season with open-air concerts, street vendors and family friendly activities.

Haitian Parade
Celebrated on the third Sunday in May beginning in Mattapan Square, on Blue Hill Avenue in the Mattapan/Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.

Earthfest Concert in Boston
Every year the Boston radio station WBOS holds an al fresco free concert at the Hatch Shell at the Esplanade.

Brimfield Antiques and Collectibles Shows
Up to 4,500 dealers display their wares three times yearly at one of the oldest and largest outdoor shows of its kind.

June

Dragonboat Festival of Boston
The Dragonboat Festival includes handmade, brightly colored boats powered by paddlers, arts and crafts vendors, live performances, and other activities for the whole family.

Cambridge River Festival
The Cambridge Arts Council sponsors an annual festival on Memorial Drive by the Charles River that includes interactive arts, public art displays, and activities for children.

Dorchester Parade
Held on the first Sunday in June on Dorchester Avenue, in the Dorchester region.

Bunker Hill Parade
Every second Sunday in June, starting at the corner of Main St. & Monument in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston.

Boston Harborfest
The patriotic celebration, held on the Boston waterfront, includes the Chowderfest, concerts, and children's activities. It begins the last week of June and runs through July 5 of each year.

July

Independence Day Parade
On July 4, the streets will be lined with folks of all ages waving their flags all the way from City Hall Plaza to the Old Granary Burial Ground, and Faneuil Hall Downtown.

Pops Goes the Fourth
The incomparable "Pops Goes the Fourth" celebration is held at the Hatch Shell Esplanade at Charles River Basin, and is truly a spectacular concert and fireworks show. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular welcomes over 500,000 visitors to the extravaganza each year.

Puerto Rican Parade
This parade is held the last Sunday in July, and goes from Egleston Square to Franklin Park in the Dorchester neighborhood.

Bastille Day in Harvard Square
Harvard Square celebrates the French holiday on Holyoke Street with ethnic food, dance, and performances.

August

Caribbean Carnival and Parade
The Boston Caribbean Carnival is an annual event that includes events for the whole family. Held the last Saturday in August, the parade starts on Martin Luther King Blvd., and then winds through the Roxbury/Dorchester neighborhood to end at the carnival in Franklin Park.

Last weekend of August: Feast of St. Anthony
An annual Italian festival in Boston's North End, with events including a parade, music, and of course, great Italian food. The celebration has been ongoing since 1919.

Fisherman's Feast
Each August since 1910, the Feast has been held in Boston's historic North End on North and Fleet Streets, making it the North End's oldest continuously running Italian festival. The Feast begins on Thursday, and runs through Sunday night. The festival is a fantastic blend of food, fun, crafts, and live entertainment.

September

Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
The music fest is presented by Berklee College of Music and held at various locations around Boston.

October

Harvard Square Oktoberfest
Harvard Square ushers in the fall with an outdoor block party, filled with street vendors, concerts, activities for children, and other types of performances.

Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival
Farm stands, music, and a scarecrow contest in the North Shore's Newburyport.

Rockport Harvest Festival
Pumpkin decorating, a scarecrow creation contest, hayrides and more. Rockport is north of Gloucester on the North Shore.

Howl-o-ween Pet Parade
On October 31 each year, pets compete for best costume at Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

November

Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting
The tree lighting is preceded by a day of concerts and family activities.

December

December 31 to January 1: First Night in Boston
First Night includes ice sculptures and entertainment at more than 40 indoor and outdoor venues in Boston.

New Year's Eve
Mary Baker Eddy Library
The Mary Baker Eddy Library is a great place to enjoy some of Boston's wonderful First Night activities.

Boston After Dark: Bars and Nightlife in Boston

Boston has a dynamic nightlife, with the most vibrant nightclubs being near Kenmore Square and Fenway at the southwest side of the city.

Boston has everything from beer gardens, with rotating selections of drafts and bottled beers to some of the trendiest, swankiest restaurants you will find anywhere in the world. There is even a nightclub/restaurant located inside Fenway Park; however, it isn’t only open on game day. The famous pizzas, fabulous beer selection and great Sox-loving atmosphere keeps this place packed all day, every day, and well into the night.

No visit to Boston would be complete without a stopping in, “Where everybody knows your name...” The Bull and Finch Pub really delivers the charm of Boston to even a stranger. Founded in 1969, the Pub was the inspiration for the hit TV show Cheers, and now goes by that name, since so many visitors come looking for the 'real Cheers bar' on Beacon Hill.

Hotels in Boston, Massachusetts